INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 31.1 THE PURPOSE OF THE PLAN ......................................................................... 31.2 BACKGROUND OF VIRGINIA 9-1-1 ................................................................. 41.3 KEY TERMS ..................................................................................................... 6

STRATEGIC PLAN ......................................................................................................... 72.1 VISION & FUTURE FOR VIRGINIA 9-1-1 ......................................................... 82.2 STRATEGIC GOALS ...................................................................................... 102.3 STRATEGIC INITIATIVES .............................................................................. 11

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ........................................................................................... 213.1 ROADMAP ...................................................................................................... 213.2 LIFECYCLE .................................................................................................... 27

CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 284.1 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................ 28

APPENDIX .................................................................................................................... 295.1 APPENDIX A: PLAN DEVELOPMENT ............................................................ 295.2 APPENDIX B: CURRENT STATE OF VIRGINIA 9-1-1 .................................... 315.3 APPENDIX C: ABOUT VITA ............................................................................ 35

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In September, 2010, the Wireless E-911 Services Board asked staff for an interim report on the implementation of the Statewide Comprehensive 9-1-1 Plan and to advise if any changes to the original Plan needed to be made. Specifically, the Board was interested in learning two things from the 9-1-1 stakeholder community. First, whether or not the Plans vision and goals were still valid and widely accepted among Virginia PSAPs. And second, the continued relevancy of the Plans strategic initiatives in enabling the future state of 9-1-1 described in the Plan. To gather input from the 9-1-1 Stakeholder community, Town Hall style meetings were held throughout the Commonwealth from November 2010 until February 2011.

The Statewide Comprehensive 9-1-1 Plan, including its associated implementation, defines key strategic initiatives for improving 9-1-1 services and functionality across Virginia, especially during times of rapid technology advancement. The Plan describes a future for 9-1-1 to include Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) and will influence Virginias statewide decisions concerning 9-1-1. The successful achievement of the Plans initiatives will result in Virginias ability to continue to meet the publics high level of expectations for 9-1-1 emergency dispatch services, provide a consistent level of 9-1-1 emergency dispatch services across the Commonwealth, and contribute to excellent public safety capabilities that maintain secure communities. Development of the original plan began with a strategy to engage state and local 9-1-1 experts, practitioners, and users in the creation of the plan and to achieve consensus on a path forward. This was accomplished through a two-step process. The first step was a series of interactive interviews to gather data regarding the current and future state of 9-1-1, as well as initiatives and strategies that would support NG 9-1-1. The second step was to validate the data in an open offsite session held at the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) in November of 2007. (See Appendix A for information on the development of the Plan.) The Plan was updated early in 2011 after a series of Town Hall meetings with 9-1-1 stakeholders.

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9-1-1, public safety, and communications center telecommunicators, operators, dispatchers, coordinators, supervisors, managers, and information technology (IT) technicians

Local law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical service (EMS) employees

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Local government officials and sheriffs Emergency management personnel at the local, regional, and state levels Virginia public safety related agencies State and federal legislators

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Understand the Commonwealths 9-1-1 vision, priorities, and plan for implementation

Align with the Commonwealths 9-1-1 priorities, which may guide operational, technical, resource, funding, and legislative decisions

Volunteer to become involved in enacting the vision and initiatives Be informed about the future of 9-1-1, including Virginias activities to make it a

reality The Plan is designed to be regularly referenced, used, and updated. The future vision for Virginia will come to fruition through regular involvement from the 9-1-1 community, those who diligently serve the public every day and know the issues at hand. It is up to this community, with the assistance of VITA, to continue to spearhead the improvement efforts needed for Virginia to be a leader in providing services for NG 9-1-1 and beyond.

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The creation of a nationwide number for emergency services 9-1-1 in 1968 was a simple yet sweeping advancement in emergency services. The establishment and adoption of 9-1-1 service ensured that in an emergency any caller throughout the country could dial three easily memorized digits and quickly have local first responders come to his or her aid.

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While the first deployment of 9-1-1 increased the speed by which emergencies were reported, the caller still had to supply the telecommunicator with his or her location. In the 1980s, wireline Enhanced 9-1-1, or wireline E-911, changed this tying the callers telephone number to his or her physical address for landlines that were validated with the phone company. The introduction of wireline E-911 was a great improvement to the 9-1-1 system, but it would quickly be strained by the introduction and adoption of cellular phones.

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The rapid proliferation of cellular technology in the consumer market came as a surprise to many observers, including public safety officials and practitioners. It was widely anticipated that cellular phones would be a commuters tool and emergency calls would primarily come from highways. The public safety community did not anticipate that cellular phones would move beyond a transitory technology to supplement and sometimes replace landline phones. In addition, 9-1-1 centers would start receiving emergency calls from cellular phones from shopping malls, street corners, and office buildings. Because wireline E-911 is not capable of providing location information for cellular callers, this information had to be collected by telecommunicators, slowing response times. The deployment of wireless E-911 has helped to overcome this challenge by transmitting longitude and latitude information based on the location of the callers handset to the 9-1-1 center. The location of cellular callers is determined either by the GPS device within the phone itself or through a network solution that employs triangulation. While not as exact as landline technology, wireless E-911 has greatly improved telecommunicators ability to quickly dispatch first responders to a wireless callers location.

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Today, consumers continue to drive the communications market, bringing new technologies and new ways of communicating into practice. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones, text messaging, picture messaging, and video are becoming preferred communications mechanisms, and consumers expect that 9-1-1 centers will keep pace with these technologies. Most of Virginias 9-1-1 centers cannot handle new technologies and struggle with antiquated analog technology and a lack of interoperability. In addition, the Commonwealth faces inconsistencies between rural and urban areas. Urban areas tend to have greater resources and be outfitted with the latest equipment. Many of their rural counterparts, however, lack the means to deploy comparable services. Beyond technology, Virginia must also consider how 9-1-1 centers are staffed, how that staff is trained and retained, and the responsibilities of that staff. The current 9-1-1 system is staffed with resourceful and adaptive personnel who are dedicated to public safety. However, recruiting and retaining qualified staff is difficult because the work includes high-stress situations, non-competitive wages, and the responsibility of administrative tasks outside of emergency response. In fact, most public safety telecommunicators work overtime to accommodate their understaffed 9-1-1 centers, and often staff shortages prohibit them from leaving their site to attend training courses including those for new technologies and services. (For more information on the current state of Virginia 9-1-1, see Appendix B.) Transitioning from the current 9-1-1 system to one capable of handling the increasing demands of modern technology and including skilled and qualified staff is a complex but

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realizable goal. This Plan provides a roadmap to move the Commonwealth of Virginia towards a robust and reliable 9-1-1 system that is able to handle new technologies while also helping to ensure a standard level of 9-1-1 service across the Commonwealth.

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The following terms are used in this document.

9-1-1 This is the national three-digit number that can be dialed from any phone to contact a local 9-1-1 center to report an emergency. In this report 9-1-1 means 9-1-1 emergency communications.

9-1-1 center

This term is used to describe a 9-1-1 center, a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), a locality, or a communications center, which serves as the first response to a 9-1-1 need and involves call-taking and in some cases dispatch functions. For purposes of this Plan, this term refers to any size or type of center, regardless of the number of staff on duty at once or the parent organization of the 9-1-1 center.

Public Safety or 9-1-1

Telecommunicator

An individual or career profession that involves answering calls for emergency services in a 9-1-1 center. Other frequently used names to describe this role are call-taker, operator, or communications officer. For this Plan, the dispatcher position will also be included in this title.

Call

This term can refer to a landline or cellular phone call, or any type of contact with a 9-1-1 center used to make a request for emergency aid. Other examples include TTY (machine for the deaf) messages, text messages, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones.

Next Gen 9-1-1 or NG 9-1-1

This is the state in which the general public can make a 9-1-1 call using any real-time communications device in voice, text, or video from any wired, wireless, or IP-based device, and the emergency response community can track the call, identify location information, and transfer data using networked technology to deliver services.

ESInet An ESInet is a managed IP network that is used for emergency services communications, and which can be shared by all public

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safety agencies. It provides the IP transport infrastructure upon which independent application platforms and core functional processes can be deployed, including, but not restricted to, those necessary for providing NG9-1-1 services. ESInets may be constructed from a mix of dedicated and shared facilities. ESInets may be interconnected at local, regional, state, federal, national and international levels to form an IP-based inter-network (network of networks).

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This vision represents the ideal operational picture for 9-1-1 emergency dispatch functioning at an optimal level of service and capability. Components of this future vision as defined by Virginias 9-1-1 stakeholders, practitioners, and experts include considerations for:

Services and capabilities Infrastructure, equipment, &

technology Operations

Staff and training Governance Funding

(See Appendix A for more information on the Plan development) Most PSAPs continue to agree that the Vision Statement is still accurate, but have commented that it lacks a temporal dimension. As a result, it is not clear whether the Statement is proactive or reactive. The consensus among the 9-1-1 stakeholders is to amend the Vision Statement and add a fourth bullet, which identifies the future, but also acknowledges the present and includes the past:

Virginias 9-1-1 Centers should be able to receive, process, and dispatch requests for emergency aid quickly & accurately inclusive of legacy, transitional, or NG9-1-1 technologies

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9-1-1 centers throughout the Commonwealth must provide a consistent, seamless, and comprehensive level of 9-1-1 dispatch services statewide using an IP-enabled system that is dependable and reliable. 9-1-1 centers accept calls from all devices and in all

Figure 1: The Virginia 9-1-1 Strategy

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forms, in any language, and from special needs populations, such as the hearing impaired, to ensure that no request for assistance goes unanswered. 9-1-1 centers are not limited by their physical walls, and allow telecommunicators to process calls virtually or from outside the 9-1-1 center. There is a potentially unlimited, but managed, flow of information between any link in the chain of emergency response, including: 9-1-1 centers, emergency responders, patrol vehicles, and hospitals. However, the services and capabilities under discussion in this Plan are limited to those for which the PSAP has direct control and responsibility.

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The Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) supports and encourages, 9-1-1 centers throughout the Commonwealth to use flexible, open-architecture application-based systems enabled by regional ESInets. This approach will allow for easy access to information and provide secure and fluid data transfer between 9-1-1 centers and other public safety entities. Statewide standards and guidelines exist for equipment, technology, and infrastructure to guarantee interoperability and allow for resource sharing providing procurement economies of scale and regional equality.

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At the time of the original Plans inception, the future state of 9-1-1 in Virginia embraced a broad interpretation of NG9-1-1 that included VITAs contractor, Northrop Grumman. The construction of the IP backbone by VITA, through its contractor Northrop Grumman, was the initial step in enabling NG9-1-1 capabilities. Unfortunately, as a result of a Northrop Grumman business decision, VITA will not be able to leverage the statewide IP backbone as originally planned for Next Generation services. Instead, participation in regional NG 9-1-1 pilots, a desire for increased information efficiencies, and an interest in services expansion will enable 9-1-1 centers to utilize best practices and standard operating procedures to be better prepared in the future for day-to-day and mutual aid activities, staffing, and training. These operations must continue with current funding allocations, which will necessitate greater financial and programmatic efficiencies. Economies derived from the synergies of state and local government participation must ensure that public safety telecommunicators are solely dedicated to 9-1-1 emergency dispatch services, and 9-1-1 centers are fully staffed and able to function when there is a surge or overflow.

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Virginia certifies and provides sufficient wages for public safety telecommunicators comparable to other highly trained career professionals. These positions have standard schedules, a career progression, and a steady stream of people interested in working at 9-1-1 centers. Regular training is available on a variety of subjects, in close proximity to 9-1-1 centers, and through a variety of mechanisms.

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The existing 9-1-1 governance model in Virginia is hampering progress with the implementation of NG9-1-1. Other states have already identified a direction and have developed statewide guidance to support their future path for NG9-1-1. Legislative changes may be necessary to support strong coordinated statewide leadership. In addition, 9-1-1 resources are scattered among several state agencies, and it would benefit the 9-1-1 community to have all aspects of 9-1-1 contained within one agency. There is a significant concern among 9-1-1 stakeholders that Virginia will not be a leader in the deployment of NG9-1-1. Many Virginia PSAPs are waiting for NG9-1-1 technology to mature and are looking to the state for guidance in moving forward. Virginia must have a vision for NG9-1-1 to maintain its leadership role.

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Adequate, regular, and sustained funding must be available to local governments that operate 9-1-1 centers. The collection of landline 9-1-1 surcharge revenue has shifted from local governments to the state. The result of this shift is the belief among 9-1-1 stakeholders that the role of the state has expanded from centralized coordination for wireless 9-1-1 to a leadership role in the implantation of NG9-1-1. Funding for 9-1-1 must be aligned with trends in information technology procurement. How local governments pay for 9-1-1 going forward must be similar to the way these entities pay for network services. Future funding models must also consider the transition from a regulated tariff-based environment to one that is predominately unregulated. As a result, 9-1-1 mandates must have a defined business case and value proposition, which are fully funded.

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The strategic goals represent overarching, long-term targets that will help Virginia move towards this vision.

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Goal A: Provide a standard level of 9-1-1 emergency dispatch services to the public When achieved, this goal will provide consistent 9-1-1 emergency dispatch services to anyone residing in or passing through the Commonwealth, at any time of day, and during any event. Consistent service means that all 9-1-1 centers can receive, process, and dispatch calls in a dependable and repeatable manner. The key to achieving this goal will be to identify what 9-1-1 standards should accomplish at a minimum and to understand what is meant by the term. These standards should be reflective of statewide efforts, as well as regional needs and complexity. PSAPs are concerned that the way standards will be identified and imposed on the PSAPs may be problematic for them.

Goal B: Position 9-1-1 centers to continuously meet the publics expectations When achieved, this goal will allow Virginia to keep up with the rapid pace of technology innovation and therefore the constant changes in customers expectations. PSAPs are concerned that they will purchase equipment/services based on anticipated infrastructure needs that will not come to fruition. The dilemma facing PSAPs is how to move forward with procurement if they dont really know what the future may hold. 9-1-1 centers realize that the general public expects seamless, reliable, "just in time" service that keeps up with emerging technology innovations. To achieve this expectation, the 9-1-1 community needs to proactively monitor and communicate about the trends and best practices in the field and cooperatively adopt a preparedness mentality to anticipate changes in the publics perception and expectations. This will be predicated upon having scalable standards based on public perception by region for 9-1-1 emergency dispatch services to minimize occurrence of wasted funds on technology that is not expected by the public. Public education needs to be part of the efforts underway by PSAPs and VITA to ensure that the public is aware of what data is transferred when they place a 9-1-1 call. Equipment manufacturers and service providers need to educate their customers/citizens about the 9-1-1 capabilities of wireless service with new and existing equipment and services. In addition, local governments need to be able to ensure that equipment/services purchased from vendors can be sustained when considering the population served.

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The strategic initiatives are the actionable elements of the short-term strategy and provide the incremental steps needed to achieve the strategic goals. These initiatives will need to be refreshed or updated periodically. Over time, as new trends, circumstances, and data surface, new initiatives will be required to ensure Virginia remains a model provider of cutting-edge 9-1-1 services. The five initiatives detailed on the next few pages include the following information:

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Description A brief explanation of the sentiment and the work to be accomplished to successfully complete the initiative Initial Outcomes The status and continued relevancy of the initial outcomes included in the initiative Initial Tasks and Next Steps The status and continued relevancy of the initial milestones and key deliverables that were to be completed and next steps suggested by 9-1-1 Stakeholders. (See Section 3: The Implementation Plan.) Benefit to the Commonwealth The value the initiative provides

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An assessment of Virginias current 9-1-1 capabilities and services provides a baseline by which decisions may be made related to funding allocation for key gaps between current capabilities and the desired future of 9-1-1. The baseline assessment shall include both operational and technological capabilities. The PSAP community will be educated as to the purpose and intent of the assessment and understand the value of the data that will be collected. Knowing the exact status of 9-1-1 statewide will enable decision-makers to better address the challenges related to interoperability, staffing, and Next Generation technologies.

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A comprehensive inventory of all assets, resources, services, and capabilities of 9-1-1 centers in the Commonwealth. So far, approximately 64% (80 out of 125) of Virginia primary wireless PSAPs have completed a Baseline Survey.

Identification of 9-1-1 centers that are exceeding expectations and delivering excellent services to the public. This outcome has not yet occurred and cannot occur until the terms expectations and services are defined. Also, who will make this determination?

Identification of 9-1-1 centers that are challenged to provide various services. This outcome has not yet

Benefit to the Commonwealth:

Greater understanding of regional and local successful service and disparities

Identification of gaps that need to be addressed

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occurred and cannot occur until the terms expectations and services are defined. Also, who will make this determination?

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Identify the specific audience and recipients of the survey. This task has been completed. The recipients for the survey were the primary wireless E-911 PSAPs in Virginia. The audience for the data collected through the surveys is the same audience for which the initial Plan was intended.

Identify the data points that need to be collected. This task has been completed. With input from the 9-1-1 stakeholder community, the initial list of data points developed will be reduced to facilitate future data collections and maintenance of data. PSAPs will be able to manage their own data through a secured online access tool.

Develop the core survey questions, based on the identified data points. This task has been completed.

Determine and acquire, if necessary, the survey instrument. This task has been completed.

Pilot draft survey with a small sample. This task has been completed. Update the survey based on pilot data. This task has been completed. Conduct the survey statewide. This task has been completed. Compile information. This task has been completed. Initial products derived

from the survey data include reports showing salary ranges and staffing schedules, along with maps displaying wireless PSAP boundaries and CAD, CPE and Mapping software by vendor. Data use cases are being compiled based on regional requests. The first data use case created was done for Region 3 to increase regional awareness of radio systems and interoperability. In addition, an interactive mapping tool based on survey data is also available.

Determine the baseline. This task has been partially completed. Conduct an assessment of the data collected. This task has been completed.

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The development of a minimum capability level must provide 9-1-1 centers statewide with the guidance necessary to assess their own capabilities against a common set of efficiency and effectiveness metrics that have been interpreted on a local, regional, and statewide level. The 9-1-1 stakeholder community must identify minimum capabilities for everyday operations and services, such as staffing, training, equipment, etc. Guidance must be provided to encourage 9-1-1 centers that do not meet this minimum level to move towards a higher capability level. In some instances, 9-1-1 centers may choose to consider consolidating to provide the minimum level of service by sharing services. The guidelines, and any resulting standards, must be PSAP-driven and focus only on the needs of the PSAPs. The dispatch function must be clearly defined.

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VITA is a partner is this effort. 9-1-1 is evolving from a local and state relationship to a state and national relationship, in which VITA must provide strong centralized, coordinating efforts. These efforts should include making information and resources available electronically on federal and state 9-1-1 guidelines/standards, interoperable communication developments, and pending legislation. VITA must provide 9-1-1 stakeholders with Virginias vision for NG9-1-1 and it must include more than just IP considerations. Also, as we look to the future, we should not lose sight of the present, which includes wireline and wireless 9-1-1. There are lessons learned from these deployments that can and will prove valuable in planning for NG9-1-1. The minimum capability level developed may come in the form of statewide operational and technical guidelines. Some examples include: Operational

Services: Guidelines for providing EMD services and accepting text messages

Staffing: Standard operating procedures for staffing a 9-1-1 center according to its call volume

Training: Standard training courses, annual courses, and a statewide certification program

Technical Equipment: Guidelines on the type or make of

equipment that will promote interoperability Infrastructure: Guidelines on connecting to regional ESInets Economies of Scale: Guidance on the acquisition of new equipment and

technology to improve service offerings and interoperability

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Guidelines for a minimum capability level. This outcome has not yet occurred. VITA will need to partner with PSAPs to determine.

Outreach materials to help centers that are not operating at the identified minimum capability level reach the desired level. This outcome has not yet occurred. VITA will develop with direction from the PSAPs.

Benefit to the Commonwealth: Improved quality of

service for the public Seamless support to

other 9-1-1 centers anywhere in the state when needed and authorized

Improved interoperability with compatible systems and aligned capabilities

Long-term savings for localities that consolidate 9-1-1 centers

Economies of scale buying power

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Review the baseline assessment data to determine current operating levels. This task has been partially completed.

Identify the components of the baseline assessment that will be put into the guidelines. This task has not yet begun.

Determine the minimum level for each identified component. This task has not yet begun.

Develop a comprehensive minimal capability level for Virginia 9-1-1. This task has not yet begun.

Communicate guidance to 9-1-1 centers. This task has not yet begun. Support 9-1-1 centers to reach the minimum capability level. This task has not

yet begun.

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Recruiting and retaining qualified staff is imperative to the work of 9-1-1 responders, who are the first of the first responders. To effectively do this, the Commonwealth needs a strategy to ensure that telecommunicators are not overworked, that there is a consistent atmosphere of professionalism, and that recruiting is vastly improved. Training of 9-1-1 professionals needs to be a component in a recruitment and retention program. This training should be standardized and promote the professionalism of 9-1-1. Telecommunicators and their learning readiness are the key driving factors, not the technology, which will impact the deployment of 9-1-1 emerging technologies. Currently, standardized training and continued education for existing technologies is not available in Virginia, which will impact Virginias readiness for NG9-1-1.

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Outreach materials on recruitment and retention best practices. This outcome has not yet occurred.

New employees to staff 9-1-1 centers. This outcome has not yet occurred.

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Review current recruitment and retention guidance and tools, including the APCO Retains project. This task has not yet begun.

Discuss current guidance with Virginias telecommunicators to gain insight into the additional needs of the Commonwealth. This task has not yet begun.

Identify and compile Virginias best practices. This task has not yet begun. Develop and distribute outreach materials related to recruitment and retention to

Virginias 9-1-1 centers. This task has not yet begun.

Benefit to the Commonwealth: A highly skilled, well-

trained, and engaged workforce prepared to work in increasingly high-tech 9-1-1 centers

Reallocation of funds currently spent on training new employees due to high turnover

Improved work-life balance, morale, and working environment for telecommuni-cators

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Implement best practices and assess progress. This task has not yet begun. Develop better relationships with training academies. This is a new task

resulting from the PSAP Town Hall meeting series. Collaborative recruitment and retention campaigns should be supported and

encouraged. This is a new task resulting from the PSAP Town Hall meeting series.

VITA should provide a knowledge center for educational materials and resources for the 9-1-1/public safety community. This is a new task resulting from the PSAP Town Hall meeting series.

PSAP job posting announcements should be available from the ISP website. This is a new task resulting from the PSAP Town Hall meeting series.

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At this time, VITA is not in a position to leverage the statewide IP backbone as originally planned to enable Next Generation services. As a result, this initiative will need to be refocused. The 9-1-1 stakeholder community has suggested that an appropriate starting point in developing Virginias vision for NG9-1-1 is with a definition of NG9-1-1; however, the consensus at this point in time is that all we can agree upon is that the definition needs to include IP. IP will be the linchpin for enabling NG9-1-1. Moving to an IP-based system does provide significant benefits, such as a reliable, high-speed way to transfer information while providing greater flexibility and redundancy assurances. And, IP will enable 9-1-1 centers to receive data that is currently unavailable to them, including text messages, pictures, video, automatic crash notifications, and state and private databases, but does this mean that each PSAP will needs direct IP telephony, or even NG9-1-1 capable equipment? NG9-1-1 has to be sustained monetarily before Virginia can realistically be considered NG9-1-1 capable or ready. The recurring costs associated with NG9-1-1 will continue to constrain Virginias ability to move forward with the implementation of NG9-1-1.

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Pilot program and lessons learned. This outcome has been partially achieved.

Last mile connection process. This outcome has not yet occurred.

Connection business case. This outcome has not yet occurred.

Outreach materials for ESInet connectivity. This outcome has not yet occurred.

NG9-1-1 vision and implementation strategy for Virginia. This is a new outcome resulting from the PSAP Town Hall meeting series.

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Conduct a pilot program connecting 9-1-1 centers to a regional ESInet. This task has been partially completed.

Test equipment compatibility with ESInet Document best practices, successes, trouble shooting, and effective

solutions Calculate last mile costs

Communicate best practices to all 9-1-1 centers in the Commonwealth. This task has not yet begun.

Provide advice on technology acquisitions to help ensure they are compatible with Next Gen technologies and interoperable within the system

Make use of standardized applications Create and communicate statewide guidance on connecting to a regional

ESInet and encourage 9-1-1 centers to connect Develop a business plan including incentives, benefits, and suggested

funding for connecting to regional ESInets Other states have issues RFIs and RFPs for NG91-1 services. VITA needs to

review this information and make it available to the 9-1-1 stakeholder community. This is a new task resulting from the PSAP Town Hall meeting series.

Regional ESINet service opportunities should be identified and the advancement of IP should be promoted. This is a new task resulting from the PSAP Town Hall meeting series.

Benefit to the Commonwealth:

A 9-1-1 system that accommodates technologies used by the consumer public

The groundwork for a 9-1-1 system that allows seamless, interoperable data transfer throughout Virginia

21

The 9-1-1 stakeholder community needs to be educated on the progress of NG9-1-1 pilots in the Commonwealth, as well as other significant regional initiatives. This is a new task resulting from the PSAP Town Hall meeting series.

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9-1-1 centers are the first of the first responders. However, due to the lack of visibility, 9-1-1 is often overlooked in favor of funding law enforcement, fire, and EMS. Many may believe that 9-1-1 gets funded hand-in-hand with these other disciplines. An advocacy program will inform the public and decision-makers of the importance and unique needs of 9-1-1 statewide and add legitimacy to the professionals that provide 9-1-1 emergency response.

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Increasing the ability of emergency responders to influence their environment would provide the following benefits. This outcome has not yet occurred.

Identification of a political champion to advocate for 9-1-1 challenges

Informed Virginia elected officials Establishment of a sustainable and effective

mechanism to support ongoing outreach and advocacy efforts

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Establish an advocacy group to promote 9-1-1. This group will be made up of Virginias 9-1-1 practitioners, stakeholders, and associations. This task has not yet begun.

Recruit members Develop group charter, membership requirements, and standard operating

procedures Identify the appropriate mechanism for building advocacy for 9-1-1. This task has

not yet begun. Conduct an outreach effort to educate local officials, legislators, and citizens. This

task has not yet begun. Pursue stakeholders to promote a common vision and amplify individual effects.

This is a new task resulting from the PSAP Town Hall meeting series.

Benefit to the Commonwealth:

Increased ability of practitioners to influence and promote change in the 9-1-1 environment

A clear message and a dedicated and coordinated voice for 9-1-1

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A roadmap lays out the specific steps for immediately executing the strategy and provides traction for accomplishing the initiatives. Awareness of the current status of 9-1-1 statewide (see Appendix B) and the vision for 9-1-1 statewide (see Section 2: Strategic Plan, Vision) allows for a greater level of planning around how change will be achieved. The revised initiatives and tasks provide a one-year plan for incremental improvement towards the achievement of the vision and goals. Virginias Roadmap for 9-1-1 is presented in Figure 3. This roadmap provides a notional view of the year and the needed implementation activities to help ensure achievement of the Plan.

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The Virginia Information Technology Agency (VITA) Integrated Services Program (ISP) Public Safety Communications (PSC) Division provides overarching project management for the Virginia 9-1-1 community by providing the following services (see Appendix C: About VITA for more information):

Regional 9-1-1 Center Services 9-1-1 Center Educational and Training Services Next Generation 9-1-1

At this time VITAs PSC Division provides a Program Management Office (PMO) that is responsible for managing the strategy effort and the Wireless E-911 Services Board (see

Figure 3: The Virginia 9-1-1 Roadmap

25

the Governance section below) and acts as a hub to coordinate 9-1-1 activities. This includes acting as the primary point of accountability for statewide issues relating to the Plan and for gathering and disseminating information about the progress of the initiatives. In addition to daily program management, the PMO will be responsible for the following activities:

Driving the implementation of the Plan through Initiative Action Teams (IATs) Refreshing the Plan periodically Serving as a liaison between local and regional 9-1-1 communities and the

Commonwealth

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Critical to the success of the strategy is the ability to communicate with those involved in carrying out the Plan and with those affected by it. Outreach activities will be conducted by the PMO to help inform the community about the content and status of current initiatives. In addition, an informed 9-1-1 community has a greater ability to provide input before decisions are made. Outreach efforts in Virginia will involve, but are not limited to, the following functions:

Distributing lessons learned and best practices to 9-1-1 centers and the emergency response community

Creating and executing a plan to educate local and state-elected officials and the public on 9-1-1 needs and capabilities

Recruiting and engaging additional experts and stakeholders in the implementation of the Plan

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Governance refers to the system of planning, decision-making, and management established by the state and local community to ensure that the needs of the 9-1-1 community are being met. Virginia 9-1-1 will leverage its existing governance community, the Wireless E-911 Services Board, to support the implementation of this Plan. IATs will be established on a temporary basis to work on specific initiatives and tasks and will provide information to the Wireless E-911 Services Board on a regular basis for review and consideration. The Wireless E-911 Services Board also reserves the right to increase and/or modify established IATs as it deems appropriate.

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The Wireless E-911 Services Board (Wireless Board) consists of 9-1-1 community experts and leaders from the public and private sectors and provides information on the

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state of wireline, wireless, and NG 9-1-1 capabilities across the Commonwealth. The Virginia Code requires the Wireless E-911 Services Board report annually to the Governor, the Senate Committee on Finance, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the Virginia State Crime Commission on the following areas:

The state of enhanced wireless emergency telecommunications services in the Commonwealth

The impact of, or need for, legislation affecting enhanced wireless emergency telecommunications services in the Commonwealth

The need for changes in the wireless E-911 funding mechanism as appropriate, and the sufficiency of other moneys appropriated for the provision of enhanced wireless

Managed by the PSC Division of VITA, the Wireless Board meets once every other month, and includes a PSAP Grant Program Committee that annually appropriates funding to 9-1-1 projects from the Wireless Fund. The Wireless Board will be engaged in this Plan to help determine roles, responsibilities, and milestones with respect to the strategic initiatives, and offer direction, guidance, funding, and advice for the initiatives.

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IATs will be established on an as-needed basis to assist in implementing specific initiatives and/or tasks. Each IAT will have a charter detailing its purpose, standard operating procedures, and roles and responsibilities. Membership will be identified based on the topic and consist of stakeholders and experts with broad and deep expertise. The IATs will make recommendations to the Wireless Board. Similar to working groups, the IATs will develop most of the work and guidance involved in initiative implementation. IATs can be created to assist any new initiative and can be terminated when an initiative is completed.

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Initiatives are focused projects bound by time and achieved through multiple tasks for incremental movement towards the vision. Often the initiatives help reach short-term goals, and when they are complete, new initiatives are formed to continue progress towards the vision. Initiatives typically require various perspectives and input from users, experts, and advisors to accomplish their various tasks. (See Section 2: Strategic Plan, Strategic Initiatives for details on the five initiatives outlined in this Plan.) /#2/#2/#2/#2####$$$$

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Performance metrics are used to assess the Commonwealths progress towards the vision. With the establishment of a baseline of capabilities, the Commonwealth may create performance metrics that appropriately measure the success of the Plan and continue gap identification to allocate resources effectively. In the short-term, each IAT will determine its milestones, major deliverables, and metrics by which it will measure success towards the accomplishment of the initiative.

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While the Roadmap (Figure 3) will help the Commonwealth implement the initiatives within its first year, the Plan Lifecycle (Figure 4, below) will allow Virginia to refresh the Plan on an annual basis to ensure that the needs of the community continue to be met.

The Plan Lifecycle is a process of planning, implementation, and assessment. Planning is conducted through a collaborative process that considers the needs of 9-1-1 stakeholders and practitioners statewide to develop and gain approval for a comprehensive statewide plan. Implementation is conducted by leveraging stakeholders

Figure 4: Comprehensive Plan Lifecycle

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and the PMO through IATs over one year. The final stage of assessment allows for a comprehensive look at the Plans progress to refresh and update the initiatives. At this stage, one year initiatives may have either been successfully implemented and therefore removed from the Plan or need further work and therefore remain in the Plan and assigned new tasks in subsequent years. In addition, new initiatives may be added to address new concerns.

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The demands on the Commonwealths 9-1-1 system and infrastructures, originally designed for landline communications, have increased exponentially due to the expanding and shifting population and the publics demand for access to emergency services through modern devices. Now is the time to take advantage of the nations focus on public safety and interoperability to help ensure access to state-of-the-art emergency services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year for the Virginia public. This Plan establishes the foundation for taking Virginias 9-1-1 capabilities to the next level helping our centers achieve a statewide minimum standard level of service, pursuing a more comprehensive and technically advanced suite of services in our major cities, and establishing 9-1-1 telecommunications as a rewarding career choice.

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The following 9-1-1 stakeholders participated in the interviews and/or the joint review session in helping to develop this Plan:

Last Name First Name Title Organizational Affiliation

Agee Bill E-911 Coordinator Franklin County & Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) VA President

Broughman Chief J.B. Police Chief City of Covington

Essid Chris Interoperability Coordinator

Governors Office of Commonwealth Preparedness

Gentry Rodney 9-1-1 Support Division Manager

Hanover County & National Emergency Numbers Association (NENA) VA President

Hanger Tracy Battalion Chief City of Hampton and Wireless E-911 Services Board

Hanson Tom PSAP Manager City of Charlottesville, UVA, Albemarle County

Junkins Jim Director Harrisonburg/Rockingham ECC and State Interoperability Executive Committee

Layman Bob Radio Frequency Network Engineer

AT&T and Wireless E-911 Services Board

McGeorge Constance Special Assistant to the Governor

Governors Office of Commonwealth Preparedness

Smith Larry 9-1-1 Coordinator Essex County

Souder Steve Director Department of Public Safety Communications, Fairfax County

Sweet Jonathan County Administrator Bland County

Williams Shannon 9-1-1 Coordinator Smyth County

Woltz Robert President Verizon (Local Exchange Carrier) and Wireless E-911 Services Board

Additional information was contributed by the VITA regional coordinators.

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Figure 6: Map of localities represented by interview participants.

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Administrative assistance and 3-1-1 service Senior citizen monitoring Community involvement

There is frustration that 9-1-1 lags behind current market technology for communications including text messaging, picture messaging, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and the Internet

Some PSAPS have not deployed current 9-1-1 capabilities including Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Wireless Phase I and II, and wireline

PSAPs are unable to transfer location and caller data (ANI/ALI data) to other PSAPs

Call processing time and time to dispatch varies based on technology, call volume, and staffing

Response time across the Commonwealth varies from 1minute to 45minutes Not all PSAPs provide Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) The basic level of service is not defined (Structure, People, and Technology)

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Infrastructure and Equipment refers to the technological backbone, composed of both hardware and software, which enables the delivery of 9-1-1 services to the public.

Virginia is recognized, both internally and externally, as a national leader in wireless deployment

In some areas, Virginia pushes the envelope in adopting new technologies and services

There is regional disparity with respect to infrastructure, equipment, and deployment

Equipment is old and outdated The analog network limits data transfer For many rural PSAPs, caller location is not entirely accurate or available for

wireless Interoperability is a challenge, with respect to radios, between PSAPs, and among

CAD systems

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The current regulatory environment obstructs movement towards NG 9-1-1 (For example, the Analog Switch, DOT regulations and separate 9-1-1 systems resulting from 9 LATAs)

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Operations refers to the manner in which PSAPs function and provide services with regards to their mission.

The VITA regional coordinators provide great value to PSAPs, especially to augment staff for the small/rural PSAPs

There is a mission gap, and many PSAPs serve as operators for administrative functions in addition to 9-1-1

Statewide standard operating procedures and definitions do not exist for PSAPs Some areas are considering consolidation and shared services; others are

conducting pilot projects Most PSAPs do not have their own organizational functions (grant writing,

supervision, and internal logistics)

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Governance refers to those charged with providing guidance and oversight of all aspects of PSAP operations and strategy.

The majority of PSAPs are not independently governed; therefore, funding distribution and personnel management is often conducted by non-PSAP officials

PSAP governance varies and is often split across the state There are many late adopters who wait for mandates to make changes The administrative agency is often resistant to change and unwilling to give up

control and share resources PSAPs have a tendency to take on the culture of the agency to which they report

in the organizational hierarchy (e.g. - fire, sheriff, or, police). This may result in different/competing priorities depending on the reporting structure

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Staff and Training refers to the human elements of PSAP functionality, including those that relate to the personnel employed by each PSAP, the staffs qualifications, and training.

PSAP staff are dedicated, resourceful, and adaptive Most PSAPs are understaffed Recruitment and retention of staff weighs on PSAPs

Constant stress Non-competitive salaries/benefits Small qualified applicant pool

Pressure to remain operational detracts from taking time to receive training PSAPs are handling daily calls, but surge capacity is inadequate The general public may not fully understand the level of professionalism required

of communication officers to perform their duties. As a result, personal value judgments, from individuals outside the PSAP, may impact PSAP morale and contribute to a feeling among communication officers that their valuable service is not appreciated or perceived to be lacking in professionalism

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Funding refers to the monetary streams for short-term operating costs, the acquisition of currently deployed 9-1-1 technology, and the migration to NG9-1-1.

Funding for wireless deployment is successful Many PSAPs recognize the benefit of the PSAP grants program

Not all PSAPs are taking advantage of it Limited awareness of other state and federal grant programs, or inability to

access due to internal competition at the local level Staffing is limited; they dont have the resources to develop an application Many PSAPs feel they are behind on current 9-1-1 technology due to lack

of funds PSAPs sense a barrier to NG 9-1-1 is funding There is uncertainty about future revenue streams

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Telecommunications tax reform abolished a dedicated funding stream for the PSAPs, which has dramatically reduced operating revenue

The Compensation Board only funds dispatchers (communications officers) that are controlled by sheriffs' offices.

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The Integrated Services Program (ISP) consists of the Public Safety Communications (PSC) division and the Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN) division, as well as a radio engineering function. The ISP focus is on the following key components:

An effective collaborative approach that aggressively pursues partnership arrangements, leveraging the Commonwealths economies of scale potentials that provides more cost effective solutions to small and mid-sized state agencies and local governments

A governance model that is coordinated among all interested stakeholders including the Board and professional association

Definition of an adherence to a business-oriented value proposition Both the VGIN Advisory Board and the Wireless E-911 Services Board are supported by the VGIN and PSC Divisions, respectively, as well as several communities of interest network councils (COIN) that represent the stakeholders throughout the Commonwealth in varying disciplines.

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The PSC provides the following services to the Virginia community: Regional 9-1-1 Center Services

Currently there are four regional coordinators who provide consultative services and support for developing plans and providing services in each region.

9-1-1 Center Educational and Training Services The Division has hosted several ad-hoc training opportunities for 9-1-1 centers as well as formal training courses conducted by a professional training organization such as the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), when requested by a region or a group of 9-1-1 centers. In the future, more training services will be available to complement the existing training programs from the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).

Next Generation E-911 New challenges threaten to undermine the historical success of the E-911 system. The current system architecture has changed little since its introduction in the early 1980s, which was actually based on 1970s analog

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technology. This means the current E-911 system handles voice very reliably but can only handle a very small amount of data. Many citizens are opting for more mobile wireless service or cheaper Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. As the reliability of these services increases, more and more people will adopt them as their only telephone service. 9-1-1 centers will not be able to accommodate these changes with the current system architecture. The Commonwealth needs to begin planning for a Next Generation system that will continue to support the citizens regardless of the device or network protocol through which they request emergency services.

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The E-911 program provides both wireline and wireless 9-1-1/E-911 throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. This service includes funding assistance, system design and end user support. All funding requests must be considered by the Wireless E-911 Service Board. The E-911 program offers the following key features and benefits:

Review of funding requests from localities Liaison between the localities and the Wireless E-9ll Service Board Quality assurance of the application process Coordination of funds from the wireless providers and distribution of funds